Flashbulbs & Fairytales
by Imagination-Parade
Summary: Brennan, Booth, and the Squints attend the Hollywood premiere of Brennan’s movie, Bred in the Bone. Booth/Brennan and Angela/Hodgins pairings.


_Hi everyone! Now, being the Hollywood girl that I am, it was only a matter of time before I wrote a Hollywood-themed Bones story. This is just a one-shot. Out of everything I've written, this is probably one of my favorite stories, so I really hope you all enjoy it! Please leave a review when you're finished!_

_Bones, E! Entertainment, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, TMZ, and Perez Hilton are not owned by me. _

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"Booth, how long do we have to stay out here?" Brennan asked as millions of flashbulbs went off around her.

"You're the screenwriter, Bones. You have to do a little press," Booth said as someone motioned to them to take a few steps down the red carpet.

"I didn't write the script by myself, and I don't see Ethan anywhere," she said.

"Just relax and enjoy this, Bones. It's your big night!" he said with enthusiasm.

It was a warm Wednesday evening in Hollywood, California, and the Jeffersonian team was attending the world premiere of the feature film, _Bred in the Bone_. Angela, Hodgins, Cam, and Zack were already seated in the theater, but just as Brennan was about to go inside with her friends, her publicist whisked her away from the group and informed her that, since she wrote both the book and the movie, she would have to walk down the red carpet.

Booth had hung back from the group when he saw Brennan being dragged away. He listened in to her conversation with her publicist and noticed that she instantly tensed up at the thought of talking to television reporters, posing for pictures, and having millions of cameras go off around her. Booth snuck up behind where she was waiting nervously and touched her lower back to let her know was he going with her. Flashbulbs and TV reporters weren't exactly his cup of tea, either, but he knew he couldn't leave her alone. She smiled in thanks and turned her attention back to the thousands of cameramen along the red carpet.

Angela had doubled back to the entrance, curious to see what had happened to Booth and Brennan, and she saw them standing together, waiting to step into the chaotic environment that is Hollywood red carpets. She hissed Brennan's name to get her attention and flashed Brennan the thumbs-up signal, a wicked grin on her face, before retreating back into the theater.

Once the couple made their way into the long line of flashbulbs and bright lights, Booth felt his stomach flip. It was definitely unlike anything he had ever experienced before. He looked at the woman standing besides him, and instantly noticed that he and Brennan looked like the picture-perfect Hollywood couple. She was wearing the Roxie dress, the short, black one, from their Las Vegas adventure. Her hair was done in loose curls that perfectly framed her face, and her makeup made her look like one of those knockout 1940s pin-up girls. Booth knew that he didn't look too shabby, either with his fitted Armani suit and bright red tie that, he noticed, almost perfectly matched Brennan's lipstick.

They stood in front of the movie poster and smiled for the cameras. Both of them had a few minutes of forced smiles and nervous giggles while they got used to the cameras, but after adjusting, their smiles were natural as the adrenaline took over. The photographers managed to ascertain Booth's identity in an extraordinarily short amount of time, and ever since they realized who he was, they had been trying to get Booth to give Brennan a kiss for the cameras.

"Why do these people keep yelling at you to kiss me?" Brennan asked him.

"Because they think we're a couple," he answered, taking a few more steps down the carpet.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because our fictional counterparts are lovers. Well, that, and the fact that we look great together, Bones."

"Kathy and Andy are not us!" she protested. Booth chuckled. Of course, _that_ was the part of his response that she would pick up on.

"Yeah, so you keep saying, but in this town, denial is pretty much confirmation."

"That doesn't make any sense," she replied.

"That's Hollywood for you," he said, actually agreeing with her on this one. They remained silent for a few moments and the pleas for a kiss continued. Booth suddenly got an idea and leaned over to Brennan so no one else would hear him. "I'm _not_ going to kiss you, but just go with me, okay?"

"I don't know what that means," she said.

Booth grabbed her hand and twirled her around. He then pulled her back into his body and slightly dipped her as if they were dancing. The cameramen went crazy, and Booth smiled his charm smile as he pulled Brennan back up.

"What was that for?" she asked, flustered.

"I thought it'd be fun to get them all riled up," he said, smiling.

"You're enjoying this," she realized.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"This. The premiere, the red carpet, the attention," she explained.

"This is fun and could very well be a once in a lifetime opportunity. There's no reason not to enjoy it," he replied.

"We're being objectified, paraded around for other people's amusement. You want me to _enjoy_ that?" she protested.

"Yeah," he shrugged, deciding not to get into a fight on the red carpet. The cameramen would probably _really_ love that. "Wanna go talk to E!?"

"Who?" she asked.

"E! Entertainment. It's a TV station," Booth said.

"I don't like talking to those types of stations. Their reporters keep asking who I'm wearing. What does that even mean?"

"They want to know who designed your dress," Booth told her.

"Then why don't they just say that? They should be more clear," Brennan said.

"Yeah, who knows? Come on," he said, pulling her over to the reporter.

"We're here with the author and co-screenwriter of _Bred in the Bone_, Dr. Temperance Brennan, and her partner, FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth," Giuliana, the anchor from E! News said to the camera. She turned to the couple. "It's nice to meet you both."

"Likewise," Booth smiled.

"Dr. Brennan, your job must keep you very busy. What inspired you to start writing novels?" Giuliana asked.

Booth looked down at his partner. Even he didn't know the answer to that.

"Well, I'm not really sure," Brennan replied. "I never set out to be a writer."

"Ethan Mills was all set to adapt the novel into a screenplay, but you wanted to co-write it with him. Why?"

"I wanted to ensure that the science used in the book was accurately transferred to the movie," she replied. "Plus, I wanted to make sure the story wasn't altered too much. I'm told that often happens when books are adapted into films."

"Now for the question I'm sure we're all dying to know: is Kathy's partner, Agent Andy Lister, based on your gorgeous partner here?" Giuliana asked, gesturing to Booth. She laughed as Brennan immediately said no and Booth immediately shook his head yes. "Okay, so who are you wearing?"

"Armani," Booth answered.

"I believe someone told me this was Dolce & Gabbana," Brennan said. She turned to Booth. "Is that right? Did I say it right?"

"Yeah," Booth smiled.

"You both look amazing. Have a great night," Giuliana said, smiling.

"Thank you," Brennan nodded as Booth led her away.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Booth asked.

"I suppose not, but I'd really like to get away from all these flashbulbs," Brennan said. "I mean, realistically, what are all these photos going to be used for?"

"TMZ?" Booth chuckled.

"I don't know what that means," Brennan replied.

"It's a, uh, celebrity gossip site," he told her.

"We're hardly celebrities, Booth," she said.

"Tonight we are," Booth said, smiling his charm smile again.

"You _are_ enjoying this," she sighed.

"A night among the stars with my partner in Hollywood? You're damn right I'm enjoying this."

"Dr. Brennan, you and Agent Booth need to take your seats. The movie starts in five," an assistant told them.

"Finally," Brennan said. She swiftly fell into her normal, quick pace and headed towards the theater.

"Hey!" Booth called. "Bones, wait for me!"

Booth and Brennan were escorted to their seats at the front of the theater. They were in the middle of the second row, with Angela and Hodgins next to Brennan, and Cam and Zack seated on the other side of Booth. Angela immediately grabbed Brennan's arm in excitement.

"How was the red carpet?" Angela gasped as Booth and Brennan sat down.

"Really cool," Booth smiled.

"It was a considerably bizarre experience," Brennan answered. "Those cameras are quite blinding, and the photographers kept asking Booth to kiss me once they found out who he is."

Hodgins, who was seated next to Angela, shot his fiancée a disapproving glare.

"Angela," he said, a hint of condemnation in his voice.

"I only told _two_ people who he is! I promise!" Angela said, defending herself.

"_You_ told them?" Brennan asked with a hint of shock in her voice. The theater began to darken, and a guilty smile graced Angela's face.

"Oh, look, the movie's starting. We'll talk about it at the after party, sweetie," Angela said, quite pleased with the timing of the projectionist.

"What after party?" Brennan asked. Angela was silent and pointed to the screen with a smile on her face. Brennan turned to Booth and asked the question again. Zack learned forward.

"Throughout the research I conducted before we arrived in Los Angeles, I was able to properly conclude that these sort of film premieres are often followed by a celebration after the motion picture is finished. They're normally conducted so the people involved can celebrate their success," Zack said.

"It's impossible to know whether the movie is a success or not until it actually comes out nationwide," Brennan stated.

Zack looked confused. "I agree. The concept of an after party makes no sense to me, even though the reading materials were very convincing."

"Shh!" Booth said as the first scene began. Cam gently pushed Zack back into his seat as Brennan leaned back into hers.

The movie was about three quarters of the way over when Brennan began fidgeting in her seat. For starters, she wasn't used to being stationary for such a long time. She was also beginning to see why everyone believed her characters were a little less than completely fictional. Even though Brennan had denied the actors' requests to observe her and her team at work in the Jeffersonian, they still managed to capture the basic personalities of herself and her colleagues. Brennan could never see it in print, could never understand why everyone always compared Kathy to her, Andy to Booth, but on the screen, Kathy, Andy, and their colleagues definitely had more in common with herself, Booth, and the Squint Squad than she realized.

Booth was beginning to get a bit uncomfortable as well. He was Brennan's partner and one of her best friends. Booth had read this book a dozen times. She even let him read an early draft of the screenplay. He knew Kathy and Andy were about to get hot and heavy. It was awkward enough talking to Brennan about sex, and now he was going to have to watch their alter-egos, whether she would admit to them being their alter-egos or not, have sex on a big screen with Brennan sitting right next to him.

Brennan, Angela, and Cam all glanced at Booth as the love scene began, anticipating his discomfort with the event. He did, indeed, look uncomfortable but kept his eyes fixed on the screen. He knew he'd probably blush like crazy if he actually made eye contact with his partner during the scene. Angela and Cam picked up on his intense determination to not look at Brennan and fought back giggles, as a small smile appeared on Brennan's face. As the scene progressed, Booth shifted in his seat and moved to place his arm on the armrest, unaware that Brennan's arm was already there. His hand brushed against her bare skin and he shifted back away from her quickly. He slyly glanced over at her, but she seemed completely unaffected by the contact.

"Relax, Seeley. It's only a movie," Cam whispered, leaning over to him.

"You're just saying that because you didn't know Bones when she wrote this book, so therefore, you're not in it, _Camille_," he whispered back.

The interrogation room on the screen was almost an exact replica of the one in the FBI Building in Washington, DC. Andy pushed Kathy up against the wall, kissing her furiously, and Kathy locked her legs around his waist. Booth almost looked away. This was doing nothing to help his fantasizing about acting like that with a certain beautiful forensic anthropologist each and every time they were in the real interrogation room together. Booth looked at his watch. The scene couldn't possibly last too much longer.

"Ooh, sweetie, this is _hot_!" Angela sighed, whispering to Brennan.

"I think most of the credit for that is due to the actors," Brennan replied.

"Yeah, but really, Bren, look me in the eye and tell me you _weren't_ thinking about Booth when you wrote this scene," Angela said.

"Just watch the movie, Ange," Brennan sighed.

Angela leaned back into her chair and couldn't decide whether to pout over Brennan's dismissal of her or squeal over Brennan's inability to tell her that she wasn't thinking about Booth when this scene popped into her head. Hodgins chuckled at the expression on Angela's face and took her hand in his.

After the movie and the applause ended, Brennan and her friends were escorted to a limo to take them to the after party. Angela climbed in first.

"Ooh…champagne!" she squealed, settling into her seat.

"A girl could definitely get used to this," Cam said, pulling out six glasses.

Cam passed out the glasses, and Booth poured some of the champagne into each of them. He put the bottle back into its cooler, ready for someone to make a toast.

"To Dr. Brennan," Hodgins said. "The best damn screenwriter ever."

Brennan chuckled. "I'm glad you enjoyed the movie, Jack, but I highly doubt that I'm the best screenwriter ever."

"Okay," Angela said. "You can't argue with this one. To Booth and Brennan: the most beautiful Hollywood couple ever."

Brennan rolled her eyes. "Not this again."

"Okay, to Bones," Booth said, realizing that this toasting could go on forever. He clinked his glass with Brennan's. Everyone followed suit and took a sip of the champagne.

"And to the five of you for coming with me and being willing participants in this madness," Brennan said. They all took another sip. "Now will someone please tell me more about this after party?"

"Traditionally, after parties involve dancing, mingling, and some sort of food," Zack replied. "They're often held at nightclubs, restaurants, or party venues."

"Sweetie, don't worry about it. It'll be _fun_," Angela said.

"Is there going to be another press line?" Brennan asked.

"Probably," Zack answered.

Brennan finished off her drink and looked up at Booth, who was sitting next to her. He flashed her a charm smile and offered her more champagne. Angela grabbed the bottle away from him before Brennan could answer.

"You can't get her drunk!" Angela exclaimed. "You don't want her showing up on Perez Hilton!"

"I don't know what that means," Brennan said.

"It's another gossip site," Booth said. "You wouldn't like it."

Angela let out another squeal as she saw their destination through the window.

"There's another red carpet! I don't care what those pesky advisors say, I'm walking down this one!" she declared.

"Me too," Hodgins added.

"I'm up for it," Cam said.

"It could be interesting," Zack agreed.

The six friends stepped out of the limo onto the red carpet and posed for a few group shots. Zack then decided that flashbulbs weren't his thing and raced into the restaurant. Angela began blowing kisses at the cameras, loving the attention. Cam smiled for a few more photos and then joined Zack inside, while Hodgins, Booth, and Brennan stood off to the side.

Hodgins decided that he didn't like all the whistles and cheers of appreciation that the photographers were sending in Angela's direction. He walked up next to Angela, wrapped his arm around her, and kissed her deeply. Being kissed on the red carpet fueled Angela's enthusiasm, and the cameras flashed as their mouths battled for dominance. Brennan and Booth watched with amusement.

"Those cameramen are acting like she's Leslie Lohan or something," Brennan said. Booth chuckled.

"_Lindsey_ Lohan, Bones, and look at the bright side. Now that your best friend is playing tonsil hockey on the red carpet, the attention is off of you," Booth said.

"That's true," Brennan realized, perking up a bit.

"Come on. Let's go inside. I'm starving, and I bet they've got a good caterer," Booth said, resting his hand on her lower back.

They slipped by the kissing couple and walked into the restaurant. Large, circular booths surrounded a dance floor and bar. Zack and Cam were seated in the VIP section at a table marked with a reserved sign. Booth and Brennan slid around to the middle of the booth.

"Where are Angela and Hodgins?" Zack asked.

"Enjoying the attention," Booth said, smiling.

"So I guess we'll be seeing _them_ on Perez's site," Cam said. She and Booth laughed at the thought, and Brennan and Zack exchanged confused looks.

Angela then appeared at the table, looking thoroughly kissed and exhilarated, with a proud-looking Hodgins following her. They slid into the booth next to Brennan, and Angela noticed the reserved sign.

"This night is like a fairytale," Angela sighed. "Gorgeous dresses, VIP seating, red carpets, hundreds of flashbulbs, free champagne; it's all amazing! And, to top it off, I've got my very own prince here with me." She looked at Hodgins.

"You definitely look like a princess tonight, Angie," he said. She smiled sweetly and kissed his lips.

"Okay, people, while that's all very sweet, part of _my_ perfect fairytale is being able to keep my appetite," Cam said.

The restaurant's booths were all identical to the one Brennan and her friends sat in. They were centered around the dance floor, with a bar and a DJ station on either side. After dinner, Cam was chatting with a producer, Zack had been asked to dance by a young, blonde model, and Angela sat in the booth with the others, watching Zack like a hawk. Brennan's screenwriting partner, Ethan Mills, approached the table.

"Temperance," he said. "Care to dance?"

"Okay," she agreed.

Booth stood so Brennan could get out. She took Ethan's hand and followed him to the dance floor. She and Ethan had formed a fairly close friendship throughout their time together working on the movie, and she was thrilled to see him again.

"So was the movie to your liking?" Ethan asked as they began to dance.

"Yes, I found it very satisfactory," she said. "Thank you for being so cooperative with me. I'm told the author doesn't typically write the film adaptation of their work."

"That's true, but honestly, with the science as complex as it is, your assistance was welcomed," Ethan said, smiling. "I never could've transitioned your story to a screenplay without you, Tempe."

"So," Angela asked from the table. "What's this guy's story?"

"Ethan's?" Booth asked.

"Yeah. He married?" she asked as she watched Ethan hold Brennan a little bit closer to his body.

"Nope. Free as a bird," Booth said.

"Okay. Then I think it's time for you to go cut in," she said.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because it looks like writer boy over there is about to get grabby," Angela said, shooting a disapproving glare in Ethan's direction.

"So? He's a good guy," Booth said. He had gotten to know the man a little bit as well, and Booth genuinely liked him.

"That may be true, but, Booth, if this night is a fairytale, _you're_ her prince. Not that guy," Angela said. "Go get your princess."

"You know Bones would shoot you if she heard you equate her to a princess who needs a man to make her evening perfect," Booth said.

"Well then it's a good thing she can't hear me. Now go!" Angela said as Hodgins returned with drinks for himself and Angela.

Booth stood from the table as Angela grabbed her drink and settled into Hodgins's embrace. This show was almost better than the movie.

Booth arrived at Ethan and Brennan's spot on the dance floor just after a slower song had begun. He tapped Ethan's shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in?" he asked.

"Not at all," Ethan said. He kissed Brennan's cheek. "Thanks for the dance, Temperance."

"Bye," she said and turned to Booth. "Hey."

"Hey, Bones," he said, wrapping his arms around her. He felt her hands lock together behind his neck. "You're not mad at me for cutting in, are you?"

"Of course not," she replied. "Though you have absolutely no logical reason to be jealous of Ethan."

"I'm not jealous of Ethan!" he instantly replied. He waited a few moments and then added, "But, uh, why is there no reason?"

"Ethan is gay, Booth," Brennan said.

"Really?" Booth asked.

"Yes," she confirmed. "He's just not quite ready for the whole world to know yet, so don't say anything, especially not to Angela."

"Oh. Yeah, of course," Booth said, tugging her closer to his body. "That's a pretty good reason."

Booth held her close to him as they swayed to the music. He turned his head a bit and breathed in the scent of her auburn hair. The height of her heels elevated her to just the right height for her to rest her chin on his shoulder, and she did so, wrapping one of her arms around his chest in a hug.

They spun around and Brennan locked eyes with Angela. Angela smiled widely as she noticed their cozy position and winked at her as Hodgins raised his glass to her in approval. Brennan smiled and lost contact as Booth turned her around again. When Booth met Angela's gaze, Angela pointed to the back of Brennan's head and puckered her lips, telling Booth to kiss her. Booth simply glared at Angela.

He didn't want their first real kiss to be in public like this, and he _definitely_ didn't want a snapshot of it ending up on the Internet. Instead, he began to just barely caress her lower back, drawing small circles with his thumb. She told him it was okay by gently running her fingers through the hair at the base of his skull.

The song ended, and they pulled apart. Booth looked at his watch and saw that it was just after one in the morning. He looked at Brennan and noticed the sleepy smile on her face.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Am I allowed to leave?" she replied.

"You're not a hostage, Bones. It's a party," he laughed.

"Then yes, let's go," she said.

They made their way back to the booth to get Brennan's bag and tell their friends where they were going. Upon hearing that they were leaving the party early and returning to the hotel together, Angela told them to have fun in a very suggestive tone of voice. Booth chuckled nervously as Brennan rolled her eyes at Angela, and the pair headed for the door.

After they left the party, they opted for a cab rather than the limo. They arrived at the hotel, boarded the elevator, and Booth hit the button for the fourth level.

"Your room is on level six," Brennan said, reaching for that button as well.

"Yes, but what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't escort you home?" Booth asked, holding her hand to stop her from hitting the button.

Rather than launching into a rant about his alpha male tendencies and how she was perfectly capable of making it to her room on her own, Brennan remained silent. Once they arrived at her room, he walked in behind her and watched as she quickly disposed of her heels and flopped backwards onto her bed, sighing in comfort.

"Want to watch TV or something?" Brennan asked.

"Are you sure you're awake enough to hang out some more?" he asked her.

"Mm-hmm," she muttered, her eyes drifting open and closed.

"Bones, if you're tired, you can go to bed. I don't have to stay. We can have breakfast tomorrow morning when you're conscious," he said.

"I don't want to kick you out," she said.

"I don't want to keep you up," he replied.

"You really wouldn't mind going back to your room?" she asked.

"Nah, not at all. Just…come here first," he said, taking a deep breath.

She whimpered at the thought of having to get up, but curiosity got the better of her, so she stood and walked over to him, a confused look on her face.

"What?" she asked when he looked down at her.

Booth wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and dipped his head down to hers. He used his nose and face to gently nudge her face up before capturing her lips with his. She instantly responded and tucked her arms snugly around his chest, permitting him to help support her exhausted body.

Their kiss was soft, tender, and filled with sweetness, his lips just barely moving against hers. After a few moments of simply reveling in the feeling of Brennan's lips against his, he sensually traced the outline of her bottom lip with the tip of his tongue. She titled her head and widened the space between her lips, allowing Booth to slowly stroke her tongue with his.

Brennan softly moaned at his actions and applied a bit more pressure to his lips. He slid his hands up the sides of her body and lovingly held her face, slowly pulling out of the kiss. Brennan opened her eyes, thinking it was over, but her eyes were met with the sight of Booth titling his head in the opposite direction and bringing his mouth back down to hers.

Their second kiss was as slow and intimate as the first, illustrated by an indulgent sucking of lips and a delicate touching of tongues. When they finally pulled away, Booth wrapped her into a tight hug and held her until their breathing returned to normal. When they finally separated, she looked up at him with wide, sparkling, blue eyes and pink, swollen lips.

"What was that for?" she asked softly, reluctant to break the beautiful, speechless moment they had just shared.

"You should know this, Bones," he said, smiling brightly. "All good fairytales end with a kiss."

* * *

_For anyone wondering, I totally got the inspiration for Booth dancing with Brennan on the red carpet from David and Emily. He seems to have a thing for dipping her in front of cameras. If any of you haven't seen pics of them together on a red carpet, go find some! They're adorable._

_And speaking of Miss Emily, my goodness can she sing! She's been holding out on us. They need to make her sing at least once a season from now on._

_Reviews are my reason for living, so how about hitting that button over there and telling me what you thought? _


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